Picker stick checking mechanism



April 22, 1.941.

c. D. BROWN PICKBRSTICK CHECKING MECHANISM Filed NBV. .5, l940 Fi e.

m X m M mm m 8 i 0 A L Patented Apr. 22, 1941 Carl D. Brown, Hopedale, Mass, assigncr to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a co'rpo ration of Maine Application November 5, 1940, Serial No. 364,440

3 Claims.

This invention pertains to picking mechanisms for fly shuttle looms and more particularly relates to picker stick checking mechanisms.

One prior type of picker stick checking mechanism comprises a depending support attached to the lay beam and carrying a flexible check strap loop within which the picker stick oscillates and which is moved by the picker stick at each end of each oscillation of the latter. In a device of this type it is necessary that friction means be provided to retard the movement of the strap, and such friction means should be easily accessible for adjustment.

Accordingly it is a principal object of my invention to. provide in a loom including a lay, a picker stick, and a check strap for checking the picker stick, a friction device'for the check strap comprising a bracket attachable to the lay and having spaced apart depending fingers, a second bracket, adjustably secured to the first bracket, and having a depending portion with a laterally extending ear, a third finger hingedly connected to the ear and swingable into a position intermediate the other two fingers, and stop means for limiting the movement of the third finger.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are accomplished in the construction illustrated on the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the left hand end of the lay showing the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section showing the relation of the friction device to the check strap; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

The drawing shows but part of a loom having my invention applied thereto, the parts and mechanisms not shown being of any suitable usual construction and forming no part of the present invention. The drawing shows a portion of the left hand end of the usual lay beam I, and the shuttle box 2 into which the shuttle, not shown, enters at the end of its flight and from which it is picked by the picker stick 3. The picker stick swings back and forth in the slot 4 in the lay in the usual manner, the means for moving the picker stick, not shown, being of the usual construction.

A check strap 5 is mounted beneath the lay, the ends of the strap vbeing clamped and supported by a bracket 6 attached to and depend ing from the lay. The picker stick oscillates within the loop formed by the strap.

A friction device for supporting and checking the movement of the strap is attached to the lay on the side opposite the bracket 6.

The 5 friction device may comprise a bracket. 1 having a bed plate 8 adapted to extend beneath and fit against the bottom of the lay and having a flange 9 extending upwardly from the bed plate 8 and fitting against the front side of the lay. The bracket 1 is securely bolted to the lay by bolts l0 and ll engaging in slots Hand I3 respectively in the bed plate 8. Depending from the bed plate 8 are two spaced apart friction fingers l4 and 15. The fingers l4 and I5 are located inside the loop formed by the check strap 5 and each has a rounded face frictionally engaging the inner face of 1 the strap. Each of fingers l4 and I5 is provided with a forwardly extending flange, l6 and [1 respectively, at its lower end to help support and prevent downward movement of the strap 5 when loose or when being adjusted.

Integrally formed with bracket 8 is a forwardly projecting slotted flange l8. Adjustably mounted on flange 18 by means of-bolt l9 isa depending member 20 havinga laterally extending ear 2!. The slot and bolt mounting of member 20 permits adjustment of this member laterally of the lay and strap 5.

I-Iingedly mounted on ear 2| of member 2'8 is a third friction finger 22. Finger 22 has a rounded face frictionally engaging the outer side of strap 5 so that strap 5 passes between fingers I4 and I5 and finger 22. Finger 22 has laterally projecting therefrom two spaced apart ears 23 and 24. The ears 23 and 24 receive the ear 2! therebetween and a pintle 25 extending through the three ears hingedly secures the finger 22 to the depending member 20. A set screw 26 carried by ear 2i locks the pintle 28 relative to ear 2|. The upper ear 23 of finger 22 has a projection 21 extending therefrom and adapted to engage the depending member 20 to limit the inwardly swinging movement of finger 22.

An adjustable screw 28 is threaded into ,the lower end of depending member 20 and extends therefrom and is adapted to engage the finger 22 to limit the outwardly swinging movement of finger 22. Adjustable screw 23 is provided with a convex head 29 and a lock nut 30 for locking the screw in its adjusted position. Screw 28 is slotted as at 3| to facilitate adjustment.

The friction finger 22 is pivotally mounted on pintle 25 to swing into position intermediate the friction fingers l4 and [5 as shown on Figs. 2 and 3. The strap 5 passes in a sinuous course between the three friction fingers, the fingers l4 and I5 being located on one side of the strap 5 and the finger 22 being located on the other side.

The finger 22 and its supporting member 29 are bodily movable transversely of the strap 5 into and out of engagement with the fingers I l and I5 thereby increasing or decreasing the sinuosity of the course of the strap 5. In addition, the friction exerted upon the strap 5 by friction finger 22 is adjustable by means of adjusting screw 28, the limit of the inward movement of the finger 22 being determined by stop 21 on ear 23. By this construction, accurate regulation of the retardation of the longitudinal movementof the check strap is accomplished,

Having thus fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. A friction device for a picker stick check mechanism of the type including a flexible looped strap supported beneath the lay and within which the picker stick oscillates, said device comprising a bracket attached to the lay and having a pair of spaced depending friction fingers adapted to engage the inner face of said strap, a supporting member adjustably attached to said bracket and having a depending portion with a laterally extending ear at the lower end thereof, a third friction finger adapted to engage the outer face of said strap and having a pair of spaced apart ears extending laterally therefrom, said pair of ears embracing said first named ear, a ,pintle extending through said ears hingedly connecting said third finger to said supporting member, and means for adjustably positioning said third finger relative to said pair of fingers whereby the sinuosity of the path of travel of the strap between the fingersis adjustable.

'2. A picker stick check mechanism for a fly shuttle loom including a lay and a picker stick, said mechanism comprising a flexible looped strap within which said picker stick oscillates, means attached to said lay for supporting said strap, a friction device including a bracket attached to said lay and having a pair of spaced depending friction fingers engaging one face of said strap, a supporting member adjustably attached to said bracket and having a depending portion with a laterally extending ear at the lower end thereof, a third friction finger positioned intermediate said pair of fingers and adapted to engage the other face of said strap, said third finger having a pair of spaced apart laterally extending ears embracing said first named ear, a pin hingedly connecting said ears together, an adjusting screw threaded into said depending portion and extending therefrom into engagement with said third finger whereby said third finger may be adjustably swung inwardly on its hinge into closer engagement with said strap.

3. A picker stick check mechanism for a fiy shuttle loom including a lay and a picker stick, said mechanism comprising a flexible looped strap within which said picker stick oscillates, means attached to said lay for supporting said strap, a friction device including a bracket attached to said lay and having a pair of spaced apart depending friction fingers engaging the inner face of said strap, a member adjustably attached to said bracket and having a depending portion with a laterally extending ear at the lower end thereof, a third friction finger positioned intermediate said pair of fingers and adapted to engage the outer face of said strap, said third finger having a pair of spaced apart laterally extending ears embracing said first named ear, a pintle hingedly connecting said ears together, an adjusting screw threaded into said depending portion and extending therefrom into engagement with said third finger for adjustably moving said third .finger inwardly into engagement with said strap, and a projection carried by one of said pair of ears and adapted to engage said depending portion to limit the inward movement of said third finger.

CARL D. BROWN. 

